Guernica Christmas, Shiner Chanukkia and The Hokey Pokey

It's been a rough month, but that's not why I haven't done any Christmas shopping or otherwise prepared for the holidays.

I never go Christmas shopping until the last minute because everyone in my family decided some years ago to only give presents to the kids who are at the same Christmas tree as you. When my nephews were under 10, I sent them presents via internet shopping which saved me a trip to the post office. They are both old enough now to want Green Folding American Dollars more than anything so Christmas shopping just got easier again.

While cruising blogs this evening, I ran across this Christmas Card from I Was Just Wondering

It sums up my feelings about Consumerism and Christmas very nicely. If it weren't for the Christmas Tree and Macy's bag, it could be my feelings about Relationships. I'm the squashed one at the bottom - but it could easily be that the squashed one on the bottom looks a lot like my old boyfriends feel once Hurricane Trish blows out to sea.

I'm filled with regrets tonight - sort of. I'm certainly missing folks. Holidays are a time of memories. I'm happy to say mine are generally good. It's the first night of Hanukkah, which I don't celebrate, and it's Winter Solstice which I like to acknowledge. Winter holidays are all about light in the darkness whether it's Christmas, Hanukkah, Diwali or Solstice. I'm sorry to say I don't know anything about Eid, and I'm not so sure Lunar New Year counts as a Winter Holiday although it's in winter and the moon gives off light in the darkness. If I wanted to stretch the analogy, I would - but for the purposes of this post, the important point is the Shiner Beer Bottle Chanukkia my dear, lost friend the Rebbe Mohammed McCrory made a couple of years ago.

Remembering friends, even Gayle the Hillbilly Hustler who played a major role in the sitcom of my life last year with that dang Bloody Mary Juice Fast (great story - worth every drop she drank of my liquor), is part of holidays. I'm hoping that when the light returns to the earth in the coming months, some of my wandering friends will return to brighten up my life. And maybe I'll wander in to someone's life as well. With luck, my sister will have remembered to bring my quarter cup of Granny's ashes.

Tomorrow Velvet and I head out to New Orleans, then on to Houston where I'll be surrounded by the warmth of my whole family for the first time in years and years. I have a feeling my mother is going to get me Shaking of the Foundations by Paul Tillich. The next thing you know, Menopausal Stoners is going to get all theological. I have a feeling that somehow, embedded under all this foolishness, there's a very solid theology. It's based on The Hokey Pokey.

UPDATE

The Rebbe and I are now Facebook friends and making plans to light sparklers on the terrace when I get back from Texas bearing Blackeyed peas - a southern New Year's Day tradition. With luck, I'll be having lunch soon with the other individual I've been missing, and we'll have a chance to make up. As for Granny the Ho - I'll have to make due with my quarter cup. But that's okay, she brings light to my darkness all the time.